Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

There are no pre-requisites for this unit of competency.

Course Description

This course describes the skills and knowledge required to apply contemporary wound management principles to the care of various types of wounds. It involves working with the interdisciplinary health care team to contribute to assessment, treatment and ongoing management of a person’s wounds.

This course applies to enrolled nursing work carried out in consultation and collaboration with registered nurses, and under supervisory arrangements aligned to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia regulatory authority legislative requirements.

This course includes a Work Integrated Learning experience in which your knowledge and skills will be applied and assessed in a real or simulated workplace context and where feedback from industry and/or community is integral to your experience.

This course includes clinical placement.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

HLTENN006 Apply principles of wound management in the clinical environment

Element:

1. Apply protocols for wound assessment.

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Use appropriate medical terminology when assessing, reporting and recording data on wounds.
1.2 Use strategies to minimise cross-infection during assessment and implementation of wound management strategies.
1.3 Observe orders and instructions relating to non-disturbance of dressings.

Element:

2. Assess impact of wound on a person, family or carer.

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Assist in performing holistic assessment of the person with a wound.
2.2 Apply knowledge of the physiological and biochemical processes associated with normal wound healing when assessing the person's wound.
2.3 Consider factors that impact on wound healing, including psychosocial impact of a wound on the person's daily living activities.
2.4 Consider common problems and complications of wounds when assessing the person's wound.
2.5 Discuss modes of transmission of infection and infection development with the person, family or carer.

Element:

3. Contribute to planning care for a person with a wound.

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Consider primary health care principles and holistic approaches when planning care for the person with a wound.
3.2 Access wound care experts to assist in decision-making for wound care management.
3.3 Maintain current knowledge and use an evidence-based and problem-solving approach in contributing to analysis and planning of appropriate wound care management strategies.
3.4 Contribute to an individual wound management plan for the person in consultation and collaboration with the person, registered nurse and the interdisciplinary health care team.
3.5 Discuss preventative wound care strategies with the person, family or carer.
3.6 Identify the person's comfort needs such as pain relief in consultation with registered nurse before undertaking wound care.

4.1 Use contemporary assessment tools accurately.
4.2 Implement wound care strategies, taking into account legislation and organisation policy and procedures.
4.3 In consultation and collaboration with the interdisciplinary health care team, identify wound management products and techniques appropriate to the identified phase of wound healing, and collect all resources required for the procedure.
4.4 Collect specimens required for microbiology and cytology according to organisation policy and procedures.
4.5 Dispose of all articles including hazardous waste appropriately according to organisation policy and procedures.
4.6 Make the person comfortable, and complete required documentation.

5.1 Apply knowledge of wound complexity and the pathological processes of wound healing for complex or challenging wounds
5.2 Identify common problems and complications of complex and challenging wounds.
5.3 Follow aseptic technique for a clean surgical wound and use infection prevention techniques appropriate to the type of wound.
5.4 Remove sutures, clips and drains from a person and replace wound drainage bag as directed by a registered nurse.
5.5 Implement appropriate contemporary wound management strategies to manage the person's complex or challenging wounds.
5.6 Participate with the interdisciplinary health care team in making an assessment of the person with a complex or challenging wound within an holistic framework.
5.7 Create and review individualised plans of care for the person with a complex or challenging wound.

Element:

6. Assist in evaluating outcomes of nursing actions.

Performance Criteria:

6.1 Ensure involvement of the person in the evaluation process.
6.2 Monitor the person's response to wound management strategies, and their progress towards planned wound management goals.
6.3 Evaluate, document and communicate progress of wound healing and wound care strategy outcomes to the appropriate members of the interdisciplinary health care team using contemporary terminology.
6.4 Assist in assessing effectiveness of the person's wound management strategies and products used.
6.5 Modify wound management strategies, procedures and goals for the individual person.
6.6 Work within a cost effective framework.
6.7 Identify and plan health education and promotion strategies for the person in consultation and collaboration with the registered nurse.

Learning Outcomes

The critical learning for this course takes place in clinical placement within the health sector and within simulations in RMIT laboratories.

You will be instructed in skills through demonstration, modelling and role-play. Skills development is supported by lectures on theory and underpinning knowledge, classroom discussions, group work, research and reflective practice.

On completion of this course you should be able to:

Apply protocols for wound assessment.

1.1 Use appropriate medical terminology when assessing, reporting and recording data on wounds.

1.2 Use strategies to minimise cross-infection during assessment and implementation of wound management strategies.

1.3 Observe orders and instructions relating to non-disturbance of dressings.

Assess impact of wound on a person, family or carer.

2.1 Assist in performing holistic assessment of the person with a wound.

2.2 Apply knowledge of the physiological and biochemical processes associated with normal wound healing when assessing the person’s wound.

2.3 Consider factors that impact on wound healing, including psychosocial impact of a wound on the person’s daily living activities.

2.4 Consider common problems and complications of wounds when assessing the person’s wound.

2.5 Discuss modes of transmission of infection and infection development with the person, family or carer.

Contribute to planning care for a person with a wound.

3.1 Consider primary health care principles and holistic approaches when planning care for the person with a wound.

4.3 In consultation and collaboration with the interdisciplinary health care team, identify wound management products and techniques appropriate to the identified phase of wound healing, and collect all resources required for the procedure.

4.4 Collect specimens required for microbiology and cytology according to organisation policy and procedures.

4.5 Dispose of all articles including hazardous waste appropriately according to organisation policy and procedures.

6.7 Identify and plan health education and promotion strategies for the person in consultation and collaboration with the registered nurse.

Details of Learning Activities

All learning activities you will undertake within the course are designed to provide you with the practical skills, knowledge and attitudes required to perform to the standard expected in the health industry.

Learning activities include:

Face to Face tutorial - introducing you to key concepts within the course

Online resources - provide you with formative feedback and facilitate your learning as you progress through your course

This assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including written, oral, practical tasks and activities.

You will be asked to personally demonstrate to your teacher/assessor the practical skills gained during this course to the relevant industry standards. Assessment activities will occur throughout this course and feedback will be provided at regular intervals

Students must pass each of the following assessment tasks to demonstrate competent.

Assessment tasks

Assessment

Assessment 1

Theory assessment

Assessment 2

Case study

Assessment 3

Practical Assessment

Assessment 4

Clinical Placement

To be deemed competent you must demonstrate an understanding of all aspects required of the competency. Assessment methods have been designed to measure your achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over multiple tasks.

You are to attend all sessions in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensure the maximum opportunity and gain competency in the course.

Special consideration

Use the special consideration process if your circumstances are such that you cannot fulfil assessment requirements. For example, if you are unable to complete any piece of assessment by a due date, you will need to apply for an extension.

Re submissions

You must be competent in all elements to successfully complete the course

You are permitted to have a maximum of 2 re submissions for this course; however each individual assessment may only be resubmitted once.

re submissions are not automatic and will only be approved at the discretion of the program coordinator after consultation with the teacher.

All re submissions must be completed and submitted no more than 7 days after our work has been assessed.

Please note an opportunity to repeat clinical placement is not guaranteed and will be at the discretion of the clinical Coordinator/Program Manager.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

RMIT has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. Please refer to

If you think you have some or all of the knowledge and competencies described, please discuss the Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer options with may be available to you with your Course Coordinator: